New Year 2015’s Gift: NMC GB decision to give consumers relief in property tax
Nagpur: Its New Year-2015 gift for all unregistered water consumers in city!!!
With New Year-2015 started, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Orange City Water (OCW) have jointly started regularization drive for all unregistered consumers in city absolutely free- of- cost. This drive will not only give consumers a pride status of registered water consumer but also give them relief from property tax.
It may be mentioned here, as approved by NMC in the General Body Meeting held on July 16, 2014, OCW and NMC have undertaken a massive drive for regularising unregistered water connections in the city. It was decided in the meeting that to reduce the severity or bring flexibility to the rules as per Clause 29 of NMC’s Water Rate By-law 2009 regarding regularization of unregistered consumers, the consumers who are currently availing water illegally should be declared “Unmetered Consumers” and should be taken on official records wherein they will be given a bill for 10 units per month. (As per provisions of Bylaw Sr. No. 9) Subsequently, they will be charged as per metered consumption after installation of meter. This is not only an opportunity for citizens to legalise/ regularise their connections free of cost but also give them relief from water tax.
OCW urges those citizens of Nagpur who do not have a registered water connection to take advantage of this drive. Currently all the citizens who do not have a water connection have to pay water tax as a part of their property tax.
Thus, if they apply and get a registered water connection, they will be provided with water connection and receive potable water and get water bill as per the consumption and tariff decided by NMC. They will also get a relief in property tax as they would no longer be charged water tax.
For non-residential consumers, the water tax as a part of property tax may prove much more than if they get a connection and pay their water bill as per consumption regularly.
As per the existing provisions of NMC’s Water Rate By-law those non-residential consumers who are a part of an existing mix water use (residential and commercial) can pay Rs. 121.55/- every month in the water bill being paid by the residential units of the establishment and the same relief in the property tax can be availed by them.
In addition to this, the General Body has also decided to provide free connections to all the consumers who are residing in the older parts of the city or in NIT or MHADA developed LIG or MIG colonies and do not have a registered water connection.
The consumers who take this golden opportunity will be billed only from Aug 2014 and no charges will be recovered for the past consumption.
OCW appeals all the citizens who either do not have a registered water connection or any water connection at all to contact OCW office at their nearest NMC zone office with property ownership documents and get them registered as an authorised water consumer.
